Can a patent waiver speed up the global COVID vaccination drive
- 3 years ago
Can a patent waiver speed up the global COVID vaccination drive
The world is far from having the number of COVID-19 vaccines needed to vaccinate every single person. Now, over 100 nations are pressing for a temporary patent waiver at the World Trade Organization to help speed up production. Some have suggested pharmaceutical companies are prioritizing profits over lives. Supporters of the waiver demand that know-how and technology be shared more widely - because the pandemic, they say, is an extraordinary, emergency situation. But a string of wealthy countries are opposing the waiver. And some say even if one was put in place, it would not increase vaccine production.
The world is far from having the number of COVID-19 vaccines needed to vaccinate every single person. Now, over 100 nations are pressing for a temporary patent waiver at the World Trade Organization to help speed up production. Some have suggested pharmaceutical companies are prioritizing profits over lives. Supporters of the waiver demand that know-how and technology be shared more widely - because the pandemic, they say, is an extraordinary, emergency situation. But a string of wealthy countries are opposing the waiver. And some say even if one was put in place, it would not increase vaccine production.